Gehlot terms Allahabad HC’s order in LoP Gandhi citizenship case ‘astonishing and unfortunate’

Jaipur: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, on Saturday strongly reacted to the recent order of the Allahabad High Court directing an FIR and probe into allegations related to Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s alleged British citizenship.

In a sharply-worded statement, Gehlot described the court’s direction as “astonishing” and said it places an unnecessary burden on the executive machinery.

He noted that similar petitions had earlier been dismissed by courts, including by the Supreme Court in 2019 and by the Allahabad High Court in July 2025. He said the latest order, despite previous judicial outcomes, was difficult to comprehend.

Gehlot said, “The order for a CBI enquiry or FIR into baseless allegations of British citizenship against Rahul Gandhi is astonishing and amounts to the judiciary placing an unnecessary burden upon the executive.”

He further emphasised that earlier judicial forums had already addressed similar petitions, making the present direction surprising.

Coming out strongly in support of LoP Gandhi, Gehlot invoked the legacy of the Nehru-Gandhi family. He said, “Rahul Gandhi’s father and grandmother made the supreme sacrifice to keep this nation united and intact.”

He added that his great-grandfather spent nearly a decade in prison during the freedom struggle and devoted his entire wealth to the fight against British colonial rule. Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gehlot said the Congress leader undertook a nationwide padayatra to reduce social tensions and strengthen love, harmony, and brotherhood across the country.

“Proceedings of this nature against a person of such stature are deeply unfortunate,” he remarked.

The statement comes a day after the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court directed the registration of an FIR in connection with allegations of dual citizenship and allowed the matter to be investigated by the state government or referred to a central agency.

The court directed the lodging of a FIR and investigation against Gandhi in connection with a BJP worker’s petition over his alleged British Citizenship. The HC said in its order that the matter needed to be investigated and that the probe might be conducted by the UP government or by a central agency.

IANS